99 Station Street

If you think the reason for local ingredients is to cut down on the carbon footprint or the food miles, then you are at risk of missing the real point. Buying local food is mainly about sourcing produce within a community and to ensure quality. I know where my butcher gets his products from; the farmers and the breeds. We know the people who supply the veg, the cheese, the wine, the beer and all manner of other great produce. The key is the passion. No one can produce great food without talent or enthusiasm. If you have consistent quality in your ingredients, which is what seasonality is all about, then you are off the starting blocks at a great pace.

This is nothing new and certainly not a trend. In my grandmother’s generation, food was within walking distance and was fresh or rationed, one or the other usually. My grandad grew his own fruit and veg which came out of the ground when needed. Fruit got turned into preserves or pies and veg often got pickled if there was too much. One of the things I hated as a child was gooseberries, I now have 3 bushes planted in my garden, happy memories are truly beautiful things.

Britain has some great food traditions and many of these are linked to the use of products when they are at their best or to extend their life. Pies, sausages, jams and pickles are examples of truly delicious British dishes and they are a complete wow when they have been crafted by passionate artisans. None of these should be created as a means of getting the best out of poor ingredients.

Look at local and seasonal for what it should be rather than for conscience. There are numerous products out there with badges linked to guilt induced purchasing, but do you get a good product and do you know it’s true source? A friend of mine imports some of the best coffee in the world, he knows the region, the bean and the grower. How does he ensure quality and welfare? Easy, he goes and visits them to see for himself. Great food cannot come from cruelty or misery, it just does not translate into the final product. Food needs nurture and care and that comes from the growers and the farmers.

Another simple truth about local food is that you have to deliver the promised quality consistently or make good on your mistakes, your community will not forgive you otherwise.